The present invention relates generally to fuel pumps for vehicles and, more particularly, to a wear resistant fuel pump for a vehicle.
It is known to provide a fuel tank in a vehicle to hold fuel to be used by an engine of the vehicle. It is also known to provide a fuel pump to pump fuel from the fuel tank to the engine. One type of fuel pump is known as a high-pressure turbine fuel pump. The high-pressure turbine fuel pump typically includes a plastic impeller rotatable between anodized aluminum plates. The anodized aluminum material of the plates provides for a hard abrasion wear resistant surface. However, a die casting process used to form the plates limits the geometric complexity and surface smoothness of a flow channel and port areas of the plates. Also, secondary operations are required for surface anodization and insertion of a journal bearing. Improved geometry and surface smoothness can be obtained using injection or compression molded plastic plates. However, plastic plates have traditionally been limited in their applications due to poor abrasion wear resistance. Otherwise, the sealing surfaces of the plates wear, resulting in a reduction of fluid flow output.
Therefore, it is desirable to improve the abrasive wear characteristics of plastic plates in a fuel pump for a vehicle. It is also desirable to provide a wear resistant fuel pump for a vehicle. It is further desirable to provide a method of introducing wear resistant filler to only the surface of interest of the plastic plates to improve the abrasion wear resistance of a fuel pump for a vehicle.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a wear resistant fuel pump for a vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of introducing wear resistant filler material to only a surface of interest of plastic plates in a fuel pump for a vehicle.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a wear resistant fuel pump for a vehicle including a pump section having a flow channel and a rotatable impeller cooperating with the flow channel to pump fuel therethrough. The wear resistant fuel pump also includes a motor section disposed adjacent the pump section and having a motor to rotate the impeller. The wear resistant fuel pump further includes an outlet section disposed adjacent the motor section to allow pumped fuel to exit the fuel pump. The pump section includes a plurality of plates disposed axially adjacent to and cooperating with the impeller. The impeller and plates are made of a compound having an abrasion wear resistance on a predetermined surface thereof that improves abrasion wear characteristics therebetween.
One advantage of the present invention is that a wear resistant fuel pump is provided for a vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the wear resistant fuel pump introduces an abrasive wear material to only the surface requiring wear enhancement. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the wear resistant fuel pump improves fuel pump performance and durability in abrasive contaminant environments. A further advantage of the present invention is that the wear resistant fuel pump reduces cost compared to other exotic material options such as ceramic material due to applying high cost abrasion wear materials to only the surface requiring wear enhancement.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood, after reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.